Page 293 of The Bonus

What?

“A present?”

“Open it.” He passes it to me.

I lean in and kiss him; I hold his face in my hands because what the hell…this is the all-time of dates. I smile against his lips, lingering for a long time.

I don’t want this night to ever be over.

“Open it,” he repeats.

I untie the ribbon and slowly begin to peel back the paper.

“Just rip it,” he tells me.

“No, I’m saving the paper.”

“It’s brown paper.” He frowns. “Why would you want to save brown paper?”

“Did you make the paper?”

“Yes,” he lies without hesitation. “I’ll make you some more. Rip it.”

I pull back the paper to reveal a square hardcover book, it’s gold fabric and the title reads:

Y O U

H U N G

T H E

M O O N

Hmm, weird, never took him as the type to buy me a book…but okay. I turn the page.

For Gracie

“Wait…what?” Oh, it’s one of those name books, how cool.

I turn another page.

I want to hear your heartbeat from the inside.

I want to show you mine

“Oh.” I think for a moment. “Wait, I’ve heard that before?” I turn the page.

You loved me at my worst.

Now let me love you at my best.

I’m so confused, what is this book? I turn another page and there’s a picture of an ultrasound on the page printed into the book. Huh?

I concentrate to see that it’s of a baby in the womb, oh wait…there are two babies.

I read the text on the other page.

The Lord knew that I would miss him so much that one baby couldn’t fill the hole that he left

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